Father
by Crazy-Psycho-Anime-Lover
Summary: Most children knew both their parents, the only exception being orphans. So why had Sakura not met her father before her 6th birthday, and why was he so distant? Why did he not hug her, like other fathers hugged their children? Was it her fault?
1. Chapter 1

**Hello again! Just a little something for the pure inspiration moments in between writing 'Revenge' and 'Hurt'! I'm a person who believes that Sakura's past may have been a little too normal for her to be a member of Team 7, a team full of traumatised children and adults, so I like to randomly create sad pasts for her, s****o she can… fit in more. Most re over exaggerative, like a clan massacre or a kidnapping, but this seemed subtle enough that it was close to normal, and this one just had to be written. Tell me what you think.**

Sakura never knew her Father. He was never around. It was only on her sixth birthday, that she discovered more about him.

It was the only birthday that he had ever showed up at. She stared curiously at him, for he was nothing more than a stranger to her eyes. She watched, as her mother rose from her seat to greet the man. She hugged him, kissing his cheek, and welcoming him into there house. Sakura sat there silently, waiting for her mother to introduce him.

"Sakura, dear, this man is your father." Her eyes widened upon discovery. She had assumed that she did not have a father. Her 'father' regarded her with no emotion on his face. He slowly walked over to her, holding out a hand.

"Pleasure to meet you." Sakura was unsure of what to do. She had seen other children hugging their fathers, but this man did not seem like the hugging type. She settled for shaking his hand and repeating what he had said.

"Pleasure to meet you too, Father." He had an approving look on his face as he dropped her hand. He turned to face her mother.

"I need to speak with you, Tsukiko." He nodded towards Sakura and exited the room. Her mother turned towards her.

"Finish your cake, sweetheart, and open the rest of your presents upstairs. I'll join you later." Sakura nodded, doing what she was told.

About three hours later, Sakura was playing silently in her room with the teddy panda her mother had brought her, when she entered the room.

"Where's Father?" She inquired immediately. Her mother smiled and sat down next to her.

"Your father has just finished a very important mission. Unfortunately, he has bee called on another one, and will be leaving immediately after resting." Her mother explained. Sakura looked confused.

"Mission?" Her mother laughed at the expression on Sakura's face, who blushed in embarrassment.

"Your Father is a Shinobi. Doing missions is his job! Unfortunately, he is called away on a lot of long term missions, but it is to provide for us. Where else would we get the money for all your lovely things?" Sakura looked at all her toys, her bed, and at her new clothes. Her face lit up as an idea came to mind.

"I want to be a Shinobi to mother!" She cried out, smiling. She had expected her mother to be as happy as she was, so her smile faltered as she saw her mother falter.

"No. Absolutely not!" Her mother stated shakily. Sakura was perplexed.

"Being a Shinobi is a dangerous job, Sakura. You could be killed at any moment if you do not kill your enemies when on a mission! Do you really think I would send my only child off to do such a job…?" She trailed off, closing her eyes. Sakura reached out to hold her mothers hand.

"But I want to help provide for you, mother. What if father was to be killed when on a mission? Who would provide for us then?" Tsukiko opened her eyes and stared at her daughter.

"I just want to help, mother." She whispered, pleading. "I want you and father to be proud of me." Tsukiko contemplated this for a few minutes. Finally she stood up, picking Sakura up with her.

"I shall think about it, my dear. For now, go to sleep, and I'll see you in the morning. Sakura was lowered into her bed, where she bid her mother goodnight. She sat up quickly, remembering something.

"Mother, what is father's name?" Her mother looked shocked, before smiling softly.

"Atsuo. Goodnight Sakura."

Sakura lay back down, smiling, and drifted slowly to sleep, imagining her becoming a great Shinobi, with her Father and Mother in the background, smiling proudly at her.

It had taken two months of persistent pleading and convincing, but her mother had finally enrolled her in the academy. She would be starting in September. She smiled giddily every time she thought about it. She wondered when would be the next time she would see her father, and how he would react to the news.

He came again, a month before she would be starting the academy. She could hardly contain her excitement, as they sat together, eating there dinner. She took a deep breath, before deciding to speak.

"Father?" He turned to look at her, acknowledging the fact that she was speaking to him.

"In a month, I will be starting the academy, to start my official training as a Shinobi." She held her breath, waiting for his reaction. He watched her, silently. Finally he nodded his head, and turned towards her mother.

"Are you sure she will be able to handle it? She is rather small, even for a six year old."

With that statement, Sakura felt her excitement disappear, and be replaced with doubt, and surprisingly, anger. He didn't think she would be capable.

"I'm not weak! I'll be able to handle it, you'll see!" They turned to stare at her, shocked at her outburst. They both looked at her disapprovingly. She looked down, suddenly feeling ashamed.

"Sakura, that was uncalled for. Go to your room." Sakura nodded and got up from her seat, running to her room. She closed the door, grabbed her panda off her bed, and entered her walk in wardrobe. She sat down in a corner, hidden by many dresses, hugging her panda, feeling ashamed and angry at her father's doubt in her.

'_He doesn't believe in me! Why not? I can be a good Shinobi, I just need to train." _She felt tears welling up in her eyes. She rubbed at them furiously, refusing to cry.

"**He's an idiot! We'll show him, we'll become a better Shinobi than him, and then we'll take him down. Teach him to have little faith in us. He'll probably die on a mission anyways!" ** Sakura gasped out loud at this. She didn't even know where it had come from, but it had basically said what she had wanted to, but didn't have the courage to. She decided to ignore it. She exited her wardrobe, resolving to become a strong Shinobi, to prove her father wrong.

…

It was her first day at the academy. Her sensei, Iruka, had decided that they would spend that day introducing themselves. They had gone in order of family names, and she was next. She stood up addressing the class.

"Hello. My name is Sakura Haruno, and I am six years old. My birthday is on the 28th of March. My favourite colour is Blue, and my favourite foods are Anko dumplings and Umeboshi. I hope to become a strong Shinobi, to make my father and mother proud of me." She finished determinedly. She opened her mouth to continue, when someone cut across her.

"Is your hair really that colour, or did you do something to make it that way? And is your forehead really that big?" Everyone started laughing, and she blushed.

"Ami! That was uncalled for, now be quiet and wait your turn." He said sharply. The girl smirked and was quiet, staring at Sakura.

"Go on, Sakura, carry on introducing yourself." He encouraged, smiling at her. She shook her head, refusing to speak. He waited for a few more minutes. When it was clear she wasn't going to continue, he called out the next person. After a while, it was the turn of the girl who had embarrassed Sakura.

"My name is Ami Murakami and I am six years old. My birthday is the 15th of November. I enjoy playing with my friends and my parents, and getting presents. I hate _freaks_." She put emphasis on the word and looked at Sakura, who averted her eyes. "I hope to become a strong Shinobi, just like my mummy and daddy!" She finished arrogantly. Iruka nodded and called out the next person. For the rest of the day, Sakura felt the eyes of Ami upon her. She had a sinking feeling that this was only that start of something bad.

…

It was New Years Eve, four months after starting the academy. Sakura was standing outside her house. She had been out on an errand for her mother, when she had run into Ami and her gang.

"_Well, look who it is guys, it's our little pink haired, big fore headed FREAK of a friend!" Sakura flinched as everyone laughed at this. She tried to edge around Ami. This was pointless, as she stepped in front of her._

"_Why don't you some and play with us, Sakura." She dragged out Sakura's name. She winced, as if she had been hit. Ami gripped her upper arm, and dragged her towards the shade of some trees. She was flung into a tree. She refrained from crying out, knowing this was what they wanted, so she bit her lip. Unfortunately, Ami noticed this._

"_Oh, did I hurt the little freak? I'm sorry; maybe I didn't hurt you hard enough!" She reached out quickly and grabbed her hair. Sakura cried out at the painful tugging sensation. Ami and her gang laughed at her as she attempted to pull Ami's hand from her hair. Ami smirked, pulling her arm back and forth, watching as Sakura stumbled, moving with her hand, trying to lessen the pain._

"_Let me go, please. It hurts too much!" She cried. Ami let go, frowning at her._

"_Hm, it seems as though the freak hasn't learnt that this is what she deserves. Let's give her another lesson guys!" And with that, they all began to beat her, some punching her, some pulling her hair, and others punching and kicking. She curled into herself, screaming, hoping that someone would hear her. The others were laughing cruelly. Ami sat back watching and laughing with the others._

_Tears of pain and humiliation slipped down her face. She couldn't understand what was wrong with her, or why they insisted on hurting her every time they saw her._

"_Guys, stop!" Everyone ceased, and Sakura lay still, waiting for them to begin again._

"_Quick, let's get out of here, someone's coming!" she heard them running again. She began to relax until she felt someone pull her head up by her hair._

"_Don't think this is over, freak! The lesson may have ended for now, but it will continue next time." Ami whispered sinisterly. Sakura was dropped again. She lay there, still._

_She heard footsteps approach, and an arm reached out to shake her. She shot up and scrambled away, thinking it was someone else who had come to hurt her. She looked into the soft black eyes of a teenage boy. A complete stranger._

"_I heard someone screaming. Are you okay?" He asked softly. Sakura stared at him. He had come to help her. Her chin trembled as she tried, and failed, to hold back a sob. She ran towards him, flinging her small arms around his neck. He fell back, startled, before wrapping his arms around her small frame, and lifting her up._

"_What's your name?" He asked. She looked at her feet._

"_Sakura."_

"_Are you okay?" He repeated. She shook her head._

"_They hurt me, because I'm a freak." The boy looked at her._

"_You're not a freak. Why would they, or you, think that?" She looked at him as if he was crazy._

"_Because I have a large forehead and pink hair! It isn't natural." He shook his head, smiling at her._

"_I think it makes you look cute." She blushed._

"_Thank you." She whispered shyly. He smiled._

"_Now, I think it's about time, you should be getting home. Where do you live?" She whispered her address, and he took off at an inhumane speed. She gasped, looking at him excitedly._

"_You- You're a Shinobi!" She exclaimed. He smiled at her, nodding._

"_I'm training to be a Shinobi." She stated proudly. He chuckled at her sudden change in demeanour._

"_Is that so? Well I think you will be a brilliant Shinobi. My little brother is in the academy. Do you know him?" She frowned, thinking._

"_What's him name?"_

"_Sasuke." She smiled as she recognized the name._

"_I know him! Sasuke Uchiha. He's in my academy class. He's your brother?" The boy smiled, nodding._

"_What's your name?"_

"_Itachi." She smiled_

"_Itachi… Your name means 'weasel', I think Weasels are cute!" The boy chuckled again as he began to slow down, until he finally stopped._

"_Well, we've arrived, Sakura. Would you like me to come in with you?" Sakura shook her head hastily._

"_No, I'll be alright. Thank you for helping me get home Itachi! See you later!" He smiled at her, ruffling her hair._

"_See you around, Sakura." And with that, he left. _Sakura waited a few minutes, straightening out her clothes as best as she could. She entered her house and ran into the kitchen where her mother was preparing food.

"I'm home, mother." Her mother hugged her, before pulling away in slight disgust.

"Sakura, what on earth were you doing? You're covered in dirt. Go upstairs and wash yourself, and change into those new clothes I got you for Christmas. Your father will be joining us tonight, and I want you to look your best. And none of that rude behaviour like last time, do you understand?" Sakura nodded in understanding, running up her stairs to wash and change.

Two hours later, and they were all sitting around the table. It was quiet and her mother was attempting to make conversation.

"So, Sakura, how are you doing in the academy?" Sakura spared a quick glance at her father, who she noticed was listening.

"I'm one of the top in my class!" she stated proudly. Her father nodded, and she felt her chest swell in pride at his acknowledgment. Her mother was staring at her.

"Out of curiosity, Sakura, who was that boy you were talking to, earlier outside the house?" Sakura froze.

"Just a boy who helped me."

"And why would he need to help you?" Sakura jumped as her father spoke. She averted her eyes.

"I fell earlier and hurt my leg. He was just someone who offered to help me get home." Her mother nodded. Sakura sighed silently in relief that the subject was not pushed further. She was about to continue eating, when she heard her father mutter.

"And she wishes to be a Shinobi…" She tensed. That tone suggested that he was disappointed. She felt sick. She pushed her food away.

"Mother, I don't feel well. May I go to my room?" Tsukiko looked at her strangely, nodding. Sakura ran quickly up the stairs and into her room. Repeating what she had done last time, she grabbed her Panda bear, entered her walk in closet, sat down and cried.

Later that night, after her parents had gone to bed, she snuck downstairs. She walked into their sitting room and opened a cabinet where she new her mother kept photos. There were only three small boxes. She picked them all up, and snuck back upstairs into her room.

Closing the door as silently as she could, she set the boxes down on the floor. She opened them and spread them all over her floor. She frowned as she realised how little there were. She scanned them, looking for pictures of her and her father.

She couldn't understand their relationship. There was nothing there. She thought back to the days after the academy had finished, where children were picked up by their parents. She remembered the Yamanaka girl running towards her father, and she found another thing to be envious about. The Yamanaka girl, Ino, had everything; she was popular, she was smart, she was pretty, she had loads of friends, and parents who loved her. She remembered watching as Ino's father scooped her up, swinging her around, smiling.

Sakura knew her mother loved her; she just wasn't as open with her feelings as other mothers. She hadn't even known she had a father until nearly a year ago. She had come to the conclusion that her father did love her, he had just spent so long away, that he was awkward around her, and the photos would provide the evidence.

As she scanned them, she found that the pictures consisted mainly of her alone, or her and her mother. There was none of her and her father. She began to feel despair, until she finally spotted some. There were four. She grabbed them for inspection. Three were taken before she was before she was born, and her mother was in them. She was taken aback at the expression on her fathers face. It was one of pure happiness and love. She smiled softly at the pictures of her father and mother. The last one was also of her father and mother… and her, at least a day after she had been born.

Her father was holding a sleeping her, looking down at her, while her mother was in a hospital bed, smiling fondly at them from the background. She squinted to try and discern the expression on her fathers face. She dropped the picture, holding a hand in front of her mouth, eyes widened. His face was blank. His face was clear of any emotion, and his eyes… there was nothing but hatred. Her father_ hated_ her.

Tears welled up in her eyes, and slipped onto the picture lying before her. She brought her other hand up to her mouth to try and stifle the sobs. She pulled her self underneath her bed, clutching her bear, and cried to herself for what seemed like eternity, but was only a few hours. After she had cried herself dry off all tears, she collected all the photos back, and brought them back downstairs. All except that photo of her father. She decided to keep that for target practice.

…

It was March 28th. Her birthday. She kept a blank face, knowing that if Ami and her gang saw her happy, then they would beat her. Keeping a blank face was also easy as her mother told her that her father would be joining them for her birthday. The bell rang to signal the end of the day, and she got up and ran outside. She was the first outside, and saw Itachi standing underneath a tree. She smiled and ran over to him, waving. He spotted her and smiled softly, waving back.

"Hi, Itachi!" She cried. He chuckled at her sudden enthusiasm, as he had noticed her blank face from before.

"Hello Sakura, why so happy?" She gave him a look that seemed to say 'well isn't it obvious?'

"It's my birthday today, now I'm seven! Speaking of my birthday, I should get home before I'm late. See ya!" She went to leave but was stopped.

"Happy Birthday, Sakura." He reached into his Kunai holster, and pulled out a black ribbon. He tied it in her hair. "Sorry, if I had known it was your birthday, I would have got you something better." She blushed deeply, shuffling her feet.

"You didn't have to get me anything, but I love it, it's perfect!" She turned to see all the other academy students exiting, and Sasuke walking towards them, with a frown on his face. She bowed to Itachi, thanking him and taking off towards her house.

She ran the entire way home, hoping to get there before her father, so she could spend a little time with her mother, happy. Reached her house, when a funny feeling hit her. She felt wary of entering. She opened the door to her house, to find that everything was still and quiet. She crept into the sitting room, to find her mother kneeling on the floor, staring blankly ahead, crying.

"Mother?" She whispered. Her mother made no move to indicate she had heard her daughter. Sakura reached out to touch her, and flinched as her mother jumped at her touch.

"Mother, what's wrong?" Sakura asked, growing more and more worried by the minute. Her mother stared at her.

"Y-your father, h-he's dead." Tsukiko whispered. Sakura stared at her, shocked. That was it?

"H-he was k-killed on one of his m-missions. I'm so s-sorry Sakura, that t-this has h-happened, and o-on your birthday t-too!" She broke down into fresh sobs, and Sakura sat there rubbing her mother's back, failing to understand why she was so upset. They stayed like this for a while, until her mother looked up at her.

"Why a-aren't you crying, S-Sakura, Your f-father is d-dead!" Sakura looked at her mother in confusion.

"I know." Sakura's mother looked shocked and slightly horrified.

"So why aren't you upset?" Sakura shrugged.

"Because… I don't care." Tsukiko gasped.

"He was your father, how could you not care?" Her mother shouted. Sakura winced, but none the less, stood her ground.

"He wasn't my father; he was nothing but a stranger. I'd never even seen him until a year ago, and I had to call him father? Most fathers see there children every day! Most Fathers hug their children and smile at them! Most fathers don't stare with hate at their baby daughter!" Her mother, who was already pale, paled even further.

"How can you say something like that? Your father loved you; he just had a hard time showing it." Sakura shook her head.

"I was looking at some pictures mother. There were some of you and him, and there was so much love and happiness, it was almost unreal. When I saw that picture of him holding me… he hated me, mother, and he always has." She finished in a whisper, tears beginning to form in her eyes. Her mother was shaking her head in disbelief, which only made her angry.

"He hated me mother, and I HATE HIM!" she shouted. She opened her mouth to say something else, but was cut off as she saw a hand flying towards her in her peripheral vision. It hit her face with a resounding smack. She flew backwards, clutching her face and staring into her mothers cold eyes.

"Go upstairs, Sakura." There as no emotion in her voice. "Go upstairs, and stay there, for the rest of the day." Sakura got up and ran.

'_Great__.'_ She thought miserably _'Now my mother hates me as well. Everyone seems to hate me, is there something wrong with me?' _She grabbed her Panda, which she had named 'Akiyoshi' and receded into her walk in wardrobe, and didn't come out again.

…

"Shouldn't you be in…? Sakura! What happened to your face?" Itachi asked worriedly. Sakura flinched, moving her bangs to attempt to cover it.

"Nothing." She mumbled. Itachi knelt down in front of her, brushing her hair out of the way to get a better view of her face. His eyes narrowed.

"Was it those kids again?" He asked softly. She shook her head.

"It doesn't matter, I deserved it." Itachi shook his head.

"No-one deserves to get hurt, Sakura, now tell me what happened, I can help." Sakura turned to him, anger in her eyes. Itachi leaned away, shocked at the look on her face.

"How? How can you help? My father that hated me is dead, and when I finally thought I could feel happy again, my mother hits me for not caring and now she hates me! I can't go to the academy because I don't want to have to put up with Ami and her gang, and I just, I just…" She broke down in sobs, and Itachi held her, rubbing her back to soothe her.

"Everything j-just went from bad to w-worse." She said in between sobs. "I d-didn't mean t-to hate my f-father, but he h-hated me, and I didn't k-know why." Itachi shushed her, still rubbing her back.

"W-why couldn't I have a n-normal family, like e-everyone else? All their mothers and f-fathers love them…" Itachi pulled away from her, hands resting on her shoulders.

"Some of us… are just unfortunate in our parentage. Trust me; there are more than you know. But don't let it get to you. Use it to make yourself stronger. There is nothing wrong with you; you are a lovely girl, Sakura. Your mother is just grieving. I'm sure things will return to normal. Now go home, your mother is probably worried about you." Sakura smiled, wiping her eyes. She waved goodbye and started off home, hoping that he was right.

But of course, he wasn't.

…

The days that followed after were a somewhat continuous routine. Sakura's mother would wake her up, she would go to the academy, get beaten by Ami and her gang, she would go home, eat in silence with her mother, and she would retire to her room. Those were good days.

Other days, she wouldn't even eat. She would be late for school as her mother wouldn't even leave her bed. She would be scolded by her sensei, Ami would laugh at her, and she would return home to find her mother still in bed, clutching a photo of her father to her chest. Sakura watched her mother, hating her and the dead man even more.

She began to grow thin, which was picked up by Ami, who began to tease her about her mother not loving her. Things were only marginally better by her chance meetings with Itachi, who would ask her how she was. She would always smile and say that she was fine, that she was still one of the top in her class. Itachi would smile, ruffle her hair, and be on his way. Things got even better when Ino Yamanaka became her friend. She helped her stand up to the bullies, until they began to leave her alone. She and Itachi became what Sakura needed to carry on.

Suddenly, a year later Itachi disappeared, without a trace, and Sasuke, who had begun talking to her since seeing her with his beloved brother, had become withdrawn and cold, like her mother. She had tried to talk to him, but he had pushed her away, calling her annoying. Ino had seen them talking and accused Sakura of stealing her 'future boyfriend' and pushed her away. With that, Sakura lost her only friends, and was alone again.

She was getting more and more ill, and settled on eating instant Ramen until she could learn to cook. It didn't take long, and she begun cooking for her and her mother. The next challenge was trying to get her mother to eat. Eventually, her mother began to remember she had a child.

Sakura returned home from the academy one day to be ambushed by her mother, who was sobbing. She said how sorry she was, and that she shouldn't have let Sakura's father's death get in the way of her caring for her daughter, and that there was nothing she could say that would make up for her actions. Sakura just hugged her mother back, and thanked her for remembering that she existed. Her mother sobbed even harder.

After that, things began to return somewhat to normal, but the damage had been done. The relationship between her and her mother was never the same again, and Sakura never smiled as easily or as often as she had before. Sakura began to forget about her father, but deep down, she still harboured a deep hatred for him, because he ruined everything with his hatred.

She still used that photo for target practice.

**What do you think? It took me a while to get the ending right, and I still am not comfortable with it, but I have no clue how to end it, so that will have to do for now…**

**Hope you enjoyed it! Please review, because I would love to hear what you think of it : )**


	2. Chapter 2

**So, I didn't know whether I should do a second chapter, but ****Black snake eyes**** suggested a second chapter, so I though fuck it, why not? Here it is : )**

After her Father's death, things had changed drastically between her and her mother. Her mother promised that she would be a better mother, but she failed. They had their on and off days, as any other mother and daughter would but different, the off days where they wouldn't interact at all, the on days would they would speak occasionally. It was always awkward between them, and her mother was trying to make up for forgetting about her, but doing so in the wrong way. All Sakura had wanted was for her mother's love and affection, but all she received were gifts upon gifts, while her mother distanced herself. After a few months, she gave up trying to earn her mothers love, and carried on with her life.

She was still hurt over Sasuke, Itachi and Ino leaving, but after her mother returned somewhat to normal, she gained enough confidence to make some more friends, and she did, with sweet blonde haired boy name Naruto, and a shy girl called Hinata. Naruto was everything she wished she was. He was loud, confident, boisterous and overall happy. Ami and her group still tried to pick on Sakura, but couldn't get anywhere near her or Naruto would literally chase them off, so they settled for calling her name from afar, but this had little effect on her now. It still hurt when Ino joined in on the name calling, but she tried to ignore it.

Hinata, on the other hand, was the complete opposite to Naruto. She was withdrawn, quiet and extremely shy. She always stuttered when speaking, and blushed when others would talk to her. She was more comfortable around her and Naruto however. Sakura found her cute, especially when Hinata hid behind her when they interacted with others. Sakura saw her as the little sister she wished she had, and did the best she could to protect her. In fact, Hinata and Naruto had become her new drive towards becoming a ninja. Her Father was dead, and even if he wasn't he wouldn't care and her mother took little interest in what she did. She had vowed that she would become a strong ninja, solely for the purpose of protecting her two friends.

…

As they grew older, graduation from the academy drew closer. Sakura wished that it would never end, as she knew that when they became ninja, they wouldn't be able to play with each other anymore. She spent as much time as she could with them, either playing or training. She and Hinata would always train with each other after academy and occasionally Naruto would join them, but usually he would be off eating ramen, or playing pranks on the unsuspecting Chuunin and Jonin of the village. Even though his pranks made them laugh, she tried warning him that he could get in serious trouble, and that he wouldn't graduate, but he just laughed it off.

It broke her heart when she saw his miserable face on graduation day. She tried consoling him, but he wouldn't listen. When the parents came to congratulate their children, she searched around, to see if her mother had remembered what day it was and had come to see her. She stopped her search when she heard some people insulting Naruto. She glared at them, telling them sharply to shut up and gossip about other things. They looked shocked, but walked off. She immediately looked for Naruto, and saw him sitting on a swing in the shade of the trees, watching the crowd with sad eyes. She smiled softly and approached him. She sat down beside him, and held his hand, watching the crowd with him. They were soon joined by Hinata, and departed to Ichiraku's ramen stand. They didn't stay there for long however, as Naruto wasn't feeling hungry, and they went their separate ways.

When she arrived home, her mother was sat at the dining table drinking some tea. She said hello to her mother, who inclined her head in acknowledgment. She froze when she saw the headband resting on Sakura's head.

"It was your graduation day today? You passed?" Sakura watched her warily. It was the first time in a long while her mother had taken any notice of Sakura. Her mother got up and approached her. Sakura wished that her mother would hug her and tell her how proud she was. Her mother ran a hand through Sakura's hair, smiling softly and Sakura felt hope grow inside of her, only to have it crushed by her mothers next words.

"Just like your father. He loved long hair you know." Sakura drew away from her mother, closing her eyes. She noted bitterly that some things would never change. She bade her mother good night and walked to her room, leaving her mother to reminisce. She reached her room and shut the door, locking it. She looked at her hair in the mirror, bringing up a hand to touch it. She had wanted to grow out her hair, thinking that she would be, or at least feel, prettier. It had worked for a while, but as usual, her mother ruined it. She walked into her bathroom, and retrieved a pair of scissors. She looked at her hair once more, before closing her eyes and cut it. She would fix it once she got used to it shorter.

…

Her mother snapped when she saw it the next morning. She began screaming at Sakura, who ignored her, walking out the house. She walked into Ino on the way to the academy. Ino had begun to insult her, when she noticed her hair.

"What the hell happened to your hair?" Sakura blushed lightly, self consciously bringing a hand to her hair.

"Why, does it look bad?" Ino shook her head slowly.

"No… Just weird." Sakura nodded and continued walking. Ino walked with her, though the air between them was awkward and Sakura found herself wistfully wishing that their friendship hadn't ended. They reached the academy, and the only free spot Sakura saw was between Naruto and Sasuke. Her face brightened in happiness at seeing Naruto, so sat their, greeting Naruto as she did so. She chatted with him for a while, until she was accosted by a bunch of girls, led by Ami.

"Hey, billboard brow! What makes you think you're cool enough to sit next to Sasuke? Someone as ugly as you shouldn't sit next to someone as amazing as him!" Naruto opened his mouth to stick up for her, but she beat him to it.

"Piss off." Everyone stared at her, even Sasuke, though he returned to his brooding soon after. Naruto hopped onto the desk and settled in front of Sasuke, glaring at him, while Sasuke returned it. Sakura watched them carefully, ready to stop a fight. However, she found herself laughing, when the person in front of them had stood up, effectively pushing Naruto into Sasuke and causing them to kiss. She heard a thump and saw that Hinata had fainted. She was about to go over there, but saw that she was being cared for by Kiba and Shino.

Finally, Iruka arrived to announce the teams. Sakura silently prayed that she, Naruto and Hinata would be placed together, but as the teams went on, she realised that she and Hinata wouldn't be placed together, what with it being one girl to every two boys. Finally it reached team 7.

"And team 7 will consist of… Naruto… Sakura… And Sasuke!" Naruto jumped up immediately, asking why a great ninja like him was placed with a loser like Sasuke. Iruka responded with Sasuke was the highest scoring in the class, while Naruto was the lowest scoring. Sakura had chuckled and quietly comforted him, noticing the glares they were receiving from the girls.

They met with their Sensei, a man named Kakashi whose face was partly concealed by a mask, who asked them to meet him on the roof and introduce themselves. As they began, Naruto exclaimed that Kakashi should introduce himself first so they would have an idea of what to say.

"Hmm, very well then. I'm Kakashi Hatake. Things I like and things I hate… I don't feel like telling you that. My dreams for the future… never really thought about it. As for my hobbies… I have a lot of hobbies. Okay, you next pinkie." Sakura resisted the urge to slap her head.

"My name is Sakura Haruno. I like… being with Naruto and Hinata. I hate…" Her eyes darkened as she thought about her father, but left him out. "My hobbies are reading and training with Naruto and Hinata. My dreams for the future are to become a strong enough ninja, so I can protect those who I love." Kakashi was staring at her surprised and Sakura smiled slightly as she realised he thought she would be a crazed fan girl. Next was Naruto. He, as expected, spoke about her, Hinata and ramen. However, his dreams surprised her.

"And my future dream is to be the greatest Hokage! Then the whole village will stop disrespecting me and start treating me like I'm somebody. Somebody important!" Sakura had been momentarily shocked, but smiled at him.

"I think you'll make a great Hokage, Naruto." She said softly, and Naruto beamed at her. Next was Sasuke.

"My name is Sasuke Uchiha. I hate a lot of things and don't particularly like anything. My hobbies are training and my dreams for the future are to revive my clan and kill a certain someone." Sakura and Kakashi stared at him, but Naruto paled, probably thinking the certain someone was him. Sakura sighed.

'_This should be interesting."_

…

The day after that, they had done some sort of survival training. He had pitted them against each other, telling them they had to fight him for a pair of bells, meaning that one of them would loose, but she refused to go against Naruto. She had gone to find him, only to see him go up against Kakashi alone. Of course, she had been taken down easily, being hung upside down from a tree. Sakura had waited until Kakashi had left to assist him, she had got him down from the tree, and they both left to look for Sasuke.

They found him. Well, his head. Naruto started laughing, and even Sakura chuckled. They helped him up, but he pushed them away and sped off in search of Kakashi. The bell went to signal noon, and Sakura's hear sank. Kakashi proceeded to lecture them about their lack of teamwork, however congratulated Naruto and Sakura for working together and told them he would be willing to give them another chance after they had eaten, but they weren't allowed to share with Sasuke, claiming that this was his punishment for being selfish and assuming that they were to weak to help.

After Kakashi left, Sakura held her food out towards Sasuke.

"Eat." He stared at her, and Naruto asked what she was doing.

"I don't care what Kakashi said, if Sasuke doesn't eat, he will be useless, now eat!" Sasuke glared at her after she had insinuated he was useless, but took the food anyways and began to eat. Kakashi immediately appeared, asking them what they were doing. Naruto repeated what Sakura had said, saying it was for the sake of their team work, and Sakura and Sasuke agreed with him, holding their ground. Kakashi looked pissed at being disobeyed.

"In that case, I have only one thing to say to you… you pass!"

…

After that they went on a few D-rank missions. It got boring quickly, and Naruto demanded that they be given a better mission, and they were; escorting a bridge builder named Tazuna to his home in the land of waves. Needless to say it became more interesting than they had anticipated. It turned out that Tazuna was in danger of being assassinated by a man named Gatou who had taken over his home. They met two people called the Demon brothers, who were taken down quickly. They then met someone called Zabuza. They thought he had been killed, but it turned out the person who had 'killed him' had been his apprentice, called Haku. Kakashi decided that they needed some training before they faced him again, and claimed that chakra control would be the best place to start. He gave tem a kunai each, and told them to focus chakra into their feet and run up the tree. Sasuke and Naruto struggled, but she managed on the first try. Naruto looked awed, whereas Sasuke looked pissed. She had hoped that Kakashi would praise her, but he used her success as an excuse to fuel the boys, and sent her off to guard Tazuna.

'_Just like my Father, it seems that nothing I do will be good enough to please him.' _She had thought bitterly. While guarding the bridge builder, she had seen the poverty the people in the land of waves were suffering from, and felt sorrow and mild disgust as a small child came up to her and asked for money.

'_Children shouldn't have to beg strangers for food! I hope we stop Gatou, this is terrible.' _A few days later, they faced Zabuza and Haku again. They had battled on the bridge, in which Sasuke had almost died. In the end, Haku died to save Zabuza, and Zabuza assisted them in getting rid of Gatou. They buried them, and left for Konoha.

Upon arrival, they met three sand Shinobi, named Temari, Kankuro and Gaara. Their meeting had not been a pleasant one. She had been chasing a little boy called Konohamaru, who had called her ugly after she had denied dating Naruto. The boy had run into the foreign Ninja, Kankuro, who lifted him up by his ridiculously long scarf and threatened to beat him up. His female team mate, Temari, was weary, constantly looking around as if searching for someone. Sasuke made his appearance, by flinging a stone at Kankuro's hand, making him drop Konohamaru.

'_What a show off." _Sakura thought, smiling slightly at his actions.

He was shouting at Sasuke, when their third team mate, Gaara, made quite an entrance, hanging upside down from a tree and threatening to kill Kankuro. They were about to leave, but Sakura stopped them, asking hat they were doing in their village. Temari had smirked condescendingly at her, showing them their ID which provided an approval for entering Konoha.

"We were allowed access due to the Chuunin exams; surely you should know that, seeing as though this is your village?" Sakura glared at her.

"Actually, we just got back from a mission, so don't presume that we don't know what is going on in our own village. If I was you, I would keep my mouth shut before I pissed someone off." Temari returned her glare, while Sasuke and Naruto stared at her. They turned to leave, but Sasuke stopped them.

"Hey you, what's your name?" Temari had turned back, a flirtatious look on her face.

"Who, me?" She asked, Sasuke brushed her off impatiently.

"No, your team mate. The one with the Gourd." The red head turned around.

"My name is Gaara of the Desert. What is yours?" Sasuke smirked.

"Sasuke Uchiha." Gaara nodded. Then, to Sakura's surprise, he turned to her.

"What is your name?"

"Sakura Haruno." She replied. He nodded and turned to leave. Naruto, feeling left out, had jumped forward, gaining their attention.

"I bet you want to know my name!" Gaara had paused, half turning to look at him.

"No, I have no interest in you." Sakura couldn't help but giggle as Naruto had visibly deflated. They left in search for Kakashi, to find out more about the Chuunin exams. When they found Kakashi, he told them he had entered them for the Chuunin Exams, and they would all meet up in the same place tomorrow morning to officially take part. They departed for their homes. Sakura sat in her room, her window opened. After a while, she moved to sit in her balcony.

'_Chuunin exams. Am I… Are we really prepared for this? We're Genin fresh out of the academy. It doesn't matter that we've completed a B-rank mission, we got lucky. We'll be going up against Genin's older, and more experienced than us! What if one of us dies…'_ Her musings were cut short as she heard someone call her name. She looked down to see Sasuke looking up at her.

"Can we talk?" She'd narrowed her eyes suspiciously, before widening them comically.

"Sure Sasuke!"

…

Sasuke led them to a small clearing in the forest. He walked a few paces in front of her, and things were silent for a while.

"Well, what do you want Sasuke?" Sasuke had turned towards her, face serious.

"I don't think you should enter the Chuunin exams, Sakura. One successful B-rank mission doesn't mean that you are ready to take on the Chuunin exams!" Sakura was shocked at this, but didn't let this deter her.

"So if I'm not ready, than that means you and Naruto aren't ready either." She had questioned. Sasuke had opened his mouth to respond, but someone else appeared.

'_How convenient.'_ The person was a Rain ninja. Sakura had been confused, as the rain ninja had the same chakra signature that was familiar but she couldn't place it. 'Sasuke' had run forward to fight the ninja, but the ninja took him down easily with a strange looking umbrella. Sakura didn't even flinch.

"It's a Genjustsu." The rain ninja looked surprised.

"Can you prove it?" He shouted at her.

"Can you prove it isn't?" She asked and in response he flung the umbrella at her. She smiled confidently, and walked right through it. The image of Sasuke's body disappeared and so did the Rain ninja. She continued smiling as she walked home. That night however, she couldn't sleep. She got out of her bed and climbed on the roof with a blanket to stay warm. She lay there for a few hours, pondering what had happened earlier, and what could happen in the exams.

'_Even though it wasn't real, it could be. I have to make sure it doesn't happen. To him or to Naruto.'_

…

The days that ensued were hard. They took the first exam and passed easily. The next part of the exam was harder. They had a limited amount of time to fetch a scroll and reach a tower in the middle of the forest they would be taking it in. A lot of time was wasted due to the fact that Naruto and Sasuke were comatose. They had been attacked by a man named Orochimaru, who had taken an interest in Sasuke. It had gotten better towards the end, as a fellow ninja named Kabuto helped them out. They had to go through some preliminary exams, as there were too many participants left. They were long and interesting. Finally it was her turn, but she was shocked by her opponent.

_Sakura Haruno_

_Vs_

_Ino Yamanaka_

Ino glared at her as they made their way down to the arena. They fought for ages, neither one wanting to give in. Finally, Ino managed to enter her mind. She almost managed to get her to surrender, but Naruto and Hinata's shouts of encouragement managed to help her. She threw Ino out, with the help of her inner mind. They continued to fight, until they both landed a simultaneously land a hit that sent them both flying backwards. It was about to be declared a tie, but Sakura had pulled herself up. When she was declared the winner, her eyes widened in horror.

"NO, I FORFEIT! I DON'T WANT TO WIN!" everyone stared at her in shock, but complied, and seeing as though Ino was still out cold, it remained a draw. Sakura was too weak to move, so Kakashi picked her up, and returned her to the others. She moved to sit beside Ino, and refused to answer any questions. When Ino finally awoke, she looked upset.

"I lost?" She whispered, and Sakura smiled.

"No, we drew." Ino had been confused but didn't question it until Naruto opened his fat mouth.

"Sakura was about to win, but she didn't want to for some reason." Sakura glared at him, causing him to back away quickly. Ino looked at her, shocked.

"Why?"

"Because I thought that if I beat you, whether it was on purpose or accidental, then you would hate me forever." Sakura was torn, scared that Ino would reject her. To surprise and happiness, Ino hugged her.

"Don't be stupid." Sakura hugged her back, clenching her eyes shut so she wouldn't cry. The others stared at them in shock, while their sensei's smiled. After a while, Sakura pulled back.

"So, we are friends again?" Ino nodded her head in confirmation, and Sakura felt long lost hope begin to build up in her again.

After that, things moved quite quickly. Sasuke, along with Naruto, Shikamaru, Shino, Neji, Dosu, Temari, Kankuro and Gaara all made it through to the third par of the exam. Sakura had been horrified at the outcome to Gaara and Lee's match, but began to question Gaara's state of mind after seeing how he reacted when Gai had jumped in to save Lee. After that, they were told that they would have a month's break before the third part, which they should use to train. When Sakura reached home, her mother wasn't there. There was no food, and no money to but food. Sakura hadn't wanted to be alone in the house so she tried searching for Kakashi; only to find he had left with Sasuke to train him. She felt rage directed at her Sensei.

"**Don't we matter too?" **Her inner raged angrily. She walked for a while, before deciding to go to Ino's, who welcomed her with open arms. Her mother returned on the third night. Sakura had immediately begun questioning her mother on her whereabouts, but she ignored them, claiming to be visiting family. Sakura instantly knew she was lying, smelling what seemed like stale booze. Not wanting to be around her mother, she had hopped onto her roof and went for a walk. She wandered aimlessly for an hour, trying to clear her mind of anger, when she came across Gaara sitting and staring at the moon.

Still wary of him after his match, she quietly tried to walk away, but found she couldn't due to a tendril of sand gripping her ankle tightly. She felt panic rising and desperately tried to fight it back and remain calm, which wasn't easy when her inner was shouting **"Oh shit, we're gonna die!" **She cleared her throat.

"What do you want?" She asked quietly. Gaara turned to look at her, but didn't answer her question. She felt the sand moving against her skin, scratching at it. She ignored this however, remaining focused on Gaara. They continued to stare at each other for what seemed like ages, until he finally spoke,

"Shouldn't you be at home, asleep?" He asked, a creepy smirk appearing on his face. She held back a shudder.

"Shouldn't you?" She countered. His smirk widened, ad she suddenly felt very helpless.

"You're angry." He stated simply. She looked at him curiously, wondering why he didn't ask why.

"And you care…" She trailed of questioningly. He turned away from her to look at the full moon.

"Anger fuels hatred. Hatred gives you strength to kill. It gives you a reason to exist." Sakura stared blankly at him, allowing his words to sink in.

"**Oh shit, we really are going to die."** She ignored this.

"Yes I'm angry, but I wouldn't go that far." Gaara shook his head.

"Then you are weak." She bristled at this, losing all common sense.

"And who the hell do you think you are to judge me like that? What makes you so high and mighty, talking about murder as if it is no big thing, and then assuming I am the weak one because I have yet to kill? You should just mid your own damn business, and leave me the hell alone!" She made to leave, but the sand tightened painfully around her ankle. She shook her leg, her anger growing when it didn't budge.

"Let me go!" Gaara stared impassively at her.

"No." Suddenly, she felt the sand trailing up until it encased her leg. It started on the other one. She searched for something to say to distract him, and thankfully found something.

"Don't you think it would look bad if a foreign ninja killed a citizen of Konoha in the middle of the Chuunin exams?" The sand stopped, and then proceeded to slowly slip back down her legs, until it had completely come off. Instead of making a run for it, she had continued to stare at him. Growing annoyed, he turned to glare icily at her.

"Won't your parents be worried that you're out so late?" He asked, somewhat bitterly. On impulse, she shook her head.

"My mother couldn't give a shit about what I'm doing." She said scoffed. Gaara now seemed genuinely curious.

"What about your father?" Now it was Sakura's turn to be bitter.

"That asshole? He died years ago, and I am well rid of him." She exclaimed heatedly. Gaara stared at her, before nodding and turning away.

"We have that in common. Our father's being assholes." They remained in silence for a while. Suddenly, Sakura felt very foolish and tired. She bowed her head, muttered a good night, and ran back to her house.

After that, she mainly spent her time visiting Lee in the hospital, or training with Hinata and Ino, as Naruto was off training. She couldn't help but feel a little abandoned by her team, but scolded herself, telling herself that this was a backlash from how her mother treated her. She didn't have anymore confrontations with Gaara, only occasionally passing him in the streets. Finally the third part of the exam arrived. The matches went smoothly, until it came to Sasuke and Gaara's fight. Someone tried to put a Genjustsu over them, but she saw through it and broke it.

Enemy ninja began to attack. One jumped towards her and she readied herself for a fight, but was denied when Kakashi jumped forward and deflected the Ninja's attack. He turned to her and ordered her to wake up Naruto and Shikamaru and retrieve Sasuke, who had followed Gaara. She nodded and obeyed, but couldn't help feeling somewhat angry.

'_I'm not weak. I could have taken him myself.'_ She thought somewhat bitterly as she proceeded to wake them up. She stared at Shikamaru for a bit, then realised that he was pretending to be asleep. She kicked him up, woke Naruto, told them of their mission and took off instantly.

After a while, she and Naruto separated from Shikamaru, who opted to stay behind and hold off oncoming enemy ninja so they could continue on and find Sasuke. They were stopped once again further ahead by Kankuro, but were saved a fight when Shino appeared, demanding a fight after he had pulled out from theirs. Sakura didn't understand the logic or reasoning behind this, but was thankful none the less.

They finally reached Sasuke, to find him lying weakened on a branch as Gaara jumped towards him, half covered his sad which had formed the image of a demon. Not knowing what to do to save him, she did the only thing she could. Grabbing a kunai, she jumped in front of her team mate, facing Gaara. The last thing she remembered was a huge mound of sand coming towards her, the feeling of flying through the air, and everything went black.

…

When she came to, Sasuke was leaning over her. Shocked, she sat up and groaned when her head began pounding. She looked around, and grew worried when she noticed someone was missing.

"Where's Naruto?" She asked softly. Sasuke motioned to the forest floor with his head.

"Down there with the sand Shinobi." She moved to stand up, but wobbled and fell into Sasuke, who luckily caught her.

"Take me down there please?" He nodded and brought her arm to rest on his neck, supporting her. He jumped down until they were next to Naruto, who was lying on the floor with a bleeding head, facing Gaara who was in a similar condition.

"How… are you so strong?" Gaara asked. Sakura stared at him sadly as Naruto told Gaara. She listened as Naruto spoke of his childhood, and how he knew what Gaara was going through. The only difference was that Naruto had friends to stop him from taking the same path. Gaara looked shocked.

"We'll be your friends Gaara." Everyone turned to stare at her. Gaara looked pained as she said this.

"Even after what I almost done to you, twice?" Sasuke and Naruto looked at her questioningly, but she ignored them, focusing on Gaara.

"Of course I do. You don't have to kill people to prove your existence; it just makes people afraid of you, and makes everything so much worse. No one, no matter what they've done, deserves to be alone. So, if you'll let us, my team mates and I would like to be your friends." Gaara continued to stare at her. Then, he closed his eyes and nodded, to the best of his ability considering the state he was in.

"I would like that." She smiled softly at him, and watched as his siblings picked him off and carried him home. Due to the state all of them were in, they decided it would be best for them to wait until someone came for them. Eventually, Kakashi found them, and with the help of others brought them to the hospital. Sakura was in there for longer than her team mates, due to the fact that Naruto and Sasuke were more exhausted that injured, whereas Sakura had a few crushed ribs and was suffering from internal bleeding.

Her team, Hinata and Ino were constantly visiting her, but her mother didn't come once. She hoped no one had noticed but one did. When it was just her and Kakashi in her room, they had been talking about her match with Ino, and discussing what her strengths and weaknesses were. Suddenly Kakashi looked at the table next to her bed.

"Those are some nice flowers." He commented casually. She smiled and nodded.

"Yes, they are. Ino, Hinata and Naruto picked and arranged them for me, as a get well soon present." Kakashi nodded, still looking at them.

"What about your mother, hasn't she gotten you something. Has she been to visit?" Sakura tensed, but relaxed instantly.

"My mother's been very busy lately. It is understandable if she is unable to visit or buy me presents." She said in a light, but guarded tone. Kakashi narrowed his eyes slightly, but smiled and nodded.

"Okay!"

…

She was allowed out a few days after. When she got home, her mother was absent again. This time however, she had left a note:

_Sakura,_

_I heard you were getting out today. I'm sorry I haven't been to visit but I've been very busy. You'll also have to forgive me for not being here to welcome you home, but I had to go meet someone. I've left you a present in your room. Why don't you go out with your friends and share them. I don't know when I'll be back, but I hope to see you soon._

'_How… detached.'_ Sakura thought dryly. She hadn't even bothered to sign it. She sighed and put the paper in the bin, heading for her room. On her bed was a box of sweets. She picked them up, examining them.

'_Not my favourite, but it's the thought that counts… I guess. Perhaps Naruto will appreciate them more.'_ She picked them up and was about to leave, when she spotted her panda bear, Akiyoshi. She smiled when she realised it was small enough to fit in her weapons pouch, so she stuffed him in there and left in search for Naruto. She came to his apartment and knocked on the door, only to have it opened by Sasuke.

"Have you seen Naruto?" He asked hurriedly. Sakura shook her head and her sped off. Sakura immediately grew suspicious and worried, noticing his state.

'_Is Naruto in trouble?"_

"**Follow him."** Her Inner urged and she complied. She followed him to a small town close to Konoha. Sasuke headed off deeper into the town, but Sakura sensed Naruto in a hotel and ran in to see if he was okay. She walked through the corridors, trying to find Naruto, meaning her eyes were on the doors and not in front of her. Suddenly she banged into something hard. That something turned out to be a person.

"I'm sorry, I should've been watching where I-" She trailed off as she looked up and came face to face with a person she thought she would never see again.

'_Itachi!'_

She stared in shock, only coming to her senses when he smiled at her.

"Hello Sakura, it has been a long time since I last saw you." She stared at him blankly. She couldn't understand how he could disappear for years without any contact, and then suddenly appear as though no time had passed. She felt angry.

"Hi. Thanks for abandoning me." He looked confused, and she realised it was childish of her to say that. She shook her head and smiled apologetically at him.

"Sorry. You left so suddenly without saying goodbye, and you were one of my only friends at the time. I guess I'm still hurt." He nodded in understanding.

"Forgive me, but I was in a hurry at the time." She nodded in understanding.

"Why did you leave in the first place?" The change was instantaneous. The air around them grew cold, and his eyes narrowed as he glared icily at her.

"Why I left is no business of yours. I think you should leave now, I have other things to be doing." She flinched at his tone and opened her mouth to question him, but was cut off as a tall blue skinned man appeared with a giant sword. She paled as she saw Naruto being pushed in front of him.

"I found the Jinchuuriki. Hey, who's this?" She was unsure of what happened next, but the last thing she remembered was Sasuke's arrival, both he and Naruto shouting her name. Then, everything went dark.

…

"_What are you doing with Sakura?" Sasuke snarled menacingly. Itachi didn't even bat an eyelash as he draped the motionless girl over his shoulder._

"_That is none of your business, foolish little brother." Naruto gave a shout of disbelief, but it went unheard by Sasuke, who had become blinded by rage. He lowered his right hand, using his left hand to grasp his wrist. Soon, the air was filled with what sounded like chirping birds and a ball of lightening rested in the palm of his hand._

"_CHIDORI!" He cried, thrusting his had into the wall next to him, running towards Itachi. As soon as he was in reach, he thrust his hand towards Itachi, who caught it with ease, dispelling the jutsu. He then kicked Sasuke back down the hallway and into a wall. He walked towards him, keeping a hand resting on Sakura's back to keep her from falling. He lifted Sasuke off the floor and raised him up until he was looking into his eyes._

"_Mangekyou Sharingan!" And Sasuke was bombarded with images of his massacred clan. Sasuke gave an anguished cry, but Itachi never broke eye contact. Until the walls around them turned into an unidentified soft pink substance. He turned around to see one of the Legendary Sannin Jiraiya._

"_Let Sasuke and Sakura go." He demanded. Itachi regarded him then turned to Kisame._

"_I think it's time we left, don't you Kisame." And they began running. Suddenly, the walls began closing in on them, and he could see the exit growing smaller. He focused chakra into his eyes._

'_AMATERASU!'_

_All they left in their wake were black flames._

_,,,_

"So, Itachi… What are you going to do with pinkie?" Itachi glanced at Kisame, slightly shocked as he realised he had forgotten about Sakura.

"You go on ahead. I'll catch up to you after I've dealt with her." Kisame nodded, and sped off, while Itachi took a detour into a forest. He only hoped that she would wake up soon. He didn't want to risk anyone coming after them. He stopped only when they were in the deepest part of the forest, surrounded by tall trees and covered by the shade. He placed her resting against a tree, sat down and waited.

Fortunately, he didn't have to wait for long. She began o stir within five minutes, and seconds later she opened her eyes. She slowly pulled herself into a more comfortable position and analysed her surroundings. Eventually, her eyes came to rest on Itachi. They sat there in silence for a while, simply staring at each other. Finally, Itachi broke it.

"I see you're awake." Sakura nodded slowly, wincing at the pain in her head.

"… You knocked me out." She stated quietly.

"Yes."

"Why?" She received no answer, and grew frustrated at his lack of response.

"Fine, don't answer me. Ill just go home, not that anyone cares where I am." Itachi raised an eyebrow at this.

"What about your mother?" Sakura snorted.

"Oh, so now you want to talk to me. Well I don't feel like answering you-"She was cut off abruptly by Itachi.

"Sakura!" She flinched at his tone. "What did you mean by 'not that anyone cares'? Answer the question." Sakura glared at him.

"Isn't it obvious? My mother doesn't care about me." Itachi shook his head slightly.

"I'm sure she does-"

"Don't you dare you assume know anything! You haven't been here for the past six years; you don't know how bad things got after you left. I needed you, and you abandoned me!" Itachi's eyes widened slightly at her sudden outburst.

"…Is this about your father dying?" He asked softly. To his surprise, her features hardened and she scoffed.

"I'm glad that man is dead. He hated me and I hate him."

"What has this got to do with your mother?" She softened and sighed sadly, closing his eyes.

"My mother loved my father, probably more than me. When he dies, it did something to her. It was like I didn't even exist anymore. She spent everyday crying in her room. I don't even think she knew where she was most of the time. I had to learn to take care of myself. It took me months to learn how to cook properly so I didn't eat most days so I could make the food last. My clothes were dirty so the bullying got worse and I had no one to turn to!" Itachi stared at her as she broke down crying. He was unsure of what to do, so he stayed seated as she tried to compose herself.

"With his death, he completely ruined my life. My relationship with my mother has never been the same, and it's gotten to the point where she's never at home anymore. She doesn't even know what I'm doing most of the time. I just wish she would hug me, or even talk to me sometimes, but she never does and she never will." She wiped her eyes and sat up, breathing deeply. Itachi got up and slowly walked over to her, pulling her into a hug. She hugged him back as tightly as she could, fresh tears spilling silently down her face. Itachi shushed her as her shoulders shook with suppressed sobs, stroking her hair.

"I'm so sorry, Sakura." He murmured gently. She pulled away, smiling at him.

"Don't be." She paused, looking confused.

"you never did tell me why you left so suddenly. Whatever happened, Sasuke seemed especially affected by it." Itachi froze momentarily, but forced himself to relax and sighed softly.

"I did a bad thing Sakura, and I'm sorry but I can't tell you?" She looked confused.

"Why?" She whispered, and he shook his head sadly.

"If I told you, you will be in danger, and I can't let that happen." She nodded, though still confused. They stayed in each others embrace for a few more minutes, until Sakura raised her head to look at Itachi.

"Can you take me home now? Hinata and Naruto are probably worried about me." He nodded.

"Of course, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to knock you out again, so the other shinobi don't get suspicious." She nodded in understanding and closed her eyes, once again allowing the darkness to consume her.

…

When she finally awoke, one of the shinobi at the gates, Genma, was staring at her, worried.

"Hey, you're Kakashi's student aren't you? Are you okay?" She stared at him blankly, then all the memories of that day rushed back, and she began crying. Genma began to panic and picked her up, rushing towards the hospital. She was checked over by nurses, who although they found no physical wounds, decided that she should stay over night. She then found out that Kakashi was in the hospital as well. After finding out his room number, she decided to pay him a little vist.

She found him lying on his back, with the covers pulled up to cover his face. She smiled softly at this and slowly approached his bed. His eyes opened and crinkled in a smile as he recognised her.

"Hello Sakura. What are you doing here?" She pulled a chair next to the bed and sat down beside it.

"Someone found me out cold at the gates and brought me here. They want to keep me over night." Kakashi raised an eyebrow.

"Well that is a weird place to take a nap." He stated dryly and Sakura chuckled before growing serious again.

"I had a run in with Itachi Uchiha." She whispered. Kakashi's eyes widened in alarm.

"My God, Sakura! Did he do anything to you? Are you okay?" She sighed softly.

"He brought up a lot of unwanted memories Kaka-sensei." Kakashi began to panic further. She ignored him and stood up. Wishing him a good night, she left, ignoring his cries of her to return. She walked slowly all the way back to her house, climbing in through her window. She listened for a moment to see if her mother had returned. When it remained silent, she sighed sadly.

"She probably didn't even realise I was gone. She really doesn't care." She shook her head clear of her thoughts, reaching under her mattress. She pulled out the picture of her father she found all those years ago, smiling at the various holes created by Kunai and Shuriken. She brought it downstairs, turned the cooker on and tossed it into the flames, watching in satisfaction as his face burned. She then turned the cooker off, threw a wet flannel over it, and headed back upstairs. She remembered Akiyoshi in her weapons pouch and pulled him out, hugging him to her chest ad walked into her closet.

'_Maybe now I'll finally be able to get some closure."_

**TAA DAA! The legit ending to Father. There will be no more. Anyways, I hope you liked it. Please review if you find a mistake because I know there will be loads in this. I hope I didn't make anyone too OOC in this :/**

**Thanks again for reading : )**


End file.
